Steve, I learned a lot about bars sitting on a stool but I learned about the bar business from a group of very business savvy guys in San Diego. Their keys to success were simple; quality food and spirits, good value for the money, a great atmosphere and keep overhead to a minimum. Their chain of business increased over the years to include California, Arizona and I think Utah but I'm not positive on that one. The company was called Grand American Fare, it was started by a group of pilots from the now defunct Pacific Southwest Airlines. When you asked for bourbon you got Jack Daniels, tequila was Cuervo Gold, scotch was Chivas. and so forth. They negotiated pricing directly from the suppliers and got huge quantity discounts. My favorite was Foggie's Notion on Sports Arena Blvd. in San Diego, but there was The Oar House in Santa Monica, Buffalo Chips, J. Sloan in Hollywood, Madison Bear Garden in Chico and several others. None of them ever advertised, unnecessary overhead but they were always packed. They had the best cheeseburgers and fries I ever had anyplace.

When the pilots retired they closed every one of their bars rather than sell them. They said that they didn't want to compromise what they had done by selling and risking that a new owner would screw up the business and the reputation they built up.